Verify DNS server responsiveness using the nslookup command

Applies To: Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, Windows Server 2003 with SP2

Verify DNS server responsiveness

To verify DNS server responsiveness

  1. Open a command prompt, type the following command, and then press ENTER:

    nslookup 127.0.0.1 server_ip_address

  2. If the server is responding, the name "localhost" is returned.

    Value Description

    server_ip_address

    The Internet Protocol (IP) address of the DNS server. For example, if the IP address of your DNS server is 10.0.0.1, type:

    nslookup 127.0.0.1 10.0.0.1

    Note

    In the previous procedure, the syntax for the nslookup command is: nslookup[-option] host server . This command can be entered from any computer that is running a Microsoft Windows operating system and has network connectivity to the DNS server you wish to query. Only the host entry is required for the command. However, if an IP address or hostname for the server is not supplied, then the default DNS server specified in TCP/IP properties will be queried. When you enter 127.0.0.1 as the host, this IP address will automatically resolve to the name localhost if the DNS Server service is running at the IP address that you specify as the server.

Information about functional differences

  • Your server might function differently based on the version and edition of the operating system that is installed, your account permissions, and your menu settings. For more information, see Viewing Help on the Web.

See Also

Concepts

Troubleshooting DNS servers
Nslookup subcommands
Nslookup